ArHi FF! Dante's Labyrinth: Thread 1 [Completed] - Page 108

Chapter 18: Mad season

When one goes through a phase in life after a certain point of time they wish they had sat down and simply talked about everything in one shot with the associated people. It's more like assuming the life is already lived and over with and we are simply following a pre-determined pattern of events. As Khushi dragged her feet from Shyam's office, she took a moment to consider the damages because of everything that has come to be and the cruel play of fate to put all the players in one room.

Akash had conveniently left out the part about his wife's friend being one of the victims of the accident.

Shyam was devolving with every passing second coming closer to the much needed complete catharsis so that the anger, agony and the anguish of losing Anjali are purged out. No one can really predict the timing or the methodology of devolution. While people ended their lives in sheer hopelessness, some turned homicidal attacking on those who they believed had wronged them in some way. In Shyam's case, the anger was channelized on Khushi who was closely associated with Tara.

Malvika may already have an idea about Shyam's problem and had started to be a part of sessions because of his vulnerable state of mind.

Khushi could string this much as she walked down to the recreation room where the rest of the inmates were spending quality morning time. Her thoughts were clouded by memories of her sister and her friend, Arjun, who both died under strange circumstances. It was odd that people who became associated with her closely died of unnatural causes. It stung to accept that maybe her father was the first one in this pattern. She rubbed her forehead to abate the headache that was slowly building with each passing moment. She didn't have the energy to face anyone else just yet. The guilt of it all had been playing heavily on her mind when Shyam questioned her about Tara. Now it was nagging her heart with every beat and a dull ache settled in her chest. Standing in the doorway, she looked around the recreation room and checked what people were doing. Her breath stilled when she saw Arnav and Akash sitting together and playing a board game – snakes and ladders. Seeing Akash, she realized that he was completely lucid and Arnav knew it. It was interesting to see two strong alpha males fighting for wrong reasons. She would be burned if she stayed in their vicinity but then again, she was a masochist.

She made way to the table ignoring the orderlies and nurses who were scattered in the hall. Arnav looked up and smiled at her when he realized someone was walking towards their table.

"How did your treatment go?" He asked brightly smiling a wan smile. Khushi couldn't bring herself to smile. She watched him intently and searched for malice in his eyes.

There was none. Actually, there was nothing on his face. A forced expression of brightness but she could see the strain in his cheeks as he smiled.

"Don't pretend to be something you aren't and something you cannot be," she snarled. Her anger had no basis. She blamed it on her institutionalization.

"Got up on the wrong side of the bed or did Shyam poke you in all the right places?" Arnav smirked, dropping the smile off his face and adopting his signature neutral expression.

"Shyam had a breakdown." She pulled a chair and sat unceremoniously keeping her eyes on Akash. Like she anticipated, he whipped his head to her and looked at her wide eyed. "Now I got your attention, I see." She raised an eyebrow after it dawned upon her that Arnav and Akash were playing board game like two civilized individuals. "I am surprised you haven't killed him yet," she said pointing her thumb towards Arnav and looking straight at Akash.

Akash had the gall to shrug at that. Or everything she had just spewed. She couldn't really tell the difference anymore. "What did he say?" Akash asked casually.

"He blamed your wife and Tara for his wife's death, actually." Khushi maintained a neutral voice. Arnav bristled at that and she could practically smell his sudden enthusiasm.

"What?" Akash was truly surprised.

"Why are you so surprised? Anjali was in the car when Lavanya hit Tara's car. Anjali suffered internal injuries which at the moment went undiagnosed. Hours later she developed a condition and started to bleed. She died on her way to the hospital." Khushi summarized Shyam's story.

"Is that what he wants to believe now?" Akash chuckled humorlessly. Khushi exchanged a look with Arnav who looked equally confused as her. "That isn't true, actually. Anjali has had difficult pregnancy and she was even advised against conceiving. Shyam knew it but couldn't convince Anjali otherwise. He always blamed himself for not using protection which ended up in accidental conceiving. Anjali begged, cried and threw tantrums in lieu of finding out about her pregnancy hoping that Shyam changes his mind against terminating. He loved her too much to take such a huge risk but Anjali wouldn't hear a thing about it. He gave his consent half-heartedly knowing the massive risk he was taking. On the day of accident Lavanya was driving Anjali to their family doctor because Anjali's case was worsening. Anjali was against being hospitalized for months so Lavanya took care of her as her own family. Anjali was a ticking time bomb Khushi." He finished. Khushi simply shook her head.

"Do you think his blame is misplaced?" Khushi asked incredulously.

Akash shook his head. "I am simply saying that accidents happen. Anyone else could have survived it without a scratch but in case of Anjali, it was fatal because of her condition. That's all I am saying," Akash said tightly.

Arnav stood up. "This is boring." He said flatly. "I will go for a walk." He walked away without offering any words to Akash. Not that it was expected out of him.

"Do you know what is strange, Khushi?" Akash asked frowning.

Khushi looked at him questioningly. "The more time I spend with Arnav as Akash, the psychiatrist, I feel that he may not be the punisher."

"You told me less than a week ago that Arnav is fully capable of generating a myth for his own perverse pleasure." She said.

"You know, that's just the thing that doesn't add up. Look at the victims of the Punisher: your sister who did things to offend the Punisher in some way, you and Arjun."

"Why do you think Tara is Punisher's victim? Haven't you heard the news Akash? I killed Tara." Khushi said flatly.

Akash shook his head. "No, you couldn't have killed Tara. Or maybe you did in one moment of insanity but once the moment passes, you would have understood what you have done and if not anything, you wouldn't be holding murder weapon in your hands and sitting next to the victim. You are smarter than that." Akash said hurriedly as his mind hypothesized. "You were probably in a state of shock, the trauma of seeing your sister mutilated in that way." He said. Biting his lip, he added, "But then again, you are a convincing liar."

Khushi swallowed hard and maintained a careless expression.

"It cannot be Arnav simply for the fact that when he pushes someone to their death, he wishes to see it. He convinced the people in rehab to end their lives and he saw that happening right in front of his eyes. His emotional release comes from watching his victims die and not from the news of death." Akash theorized.

"Are you certain?" Khushi asked not liking the way the conversation had turned.

"I can be. But I need your help." He said looking at the board again.

"What do you need?" She asked against her sane voice advising her not to get into this.

"Can you get someone to break-in Shyam's house and steal the personal files he keeps in his house? I know for a fact that Shyam has all my files on Arnav. I cannot ask him, so…" He looked at her helplessly.

"I'll see what I can do." Khushi agreed.

Even she needed a convincing that Arnav wasn't and couldn't be the Punisher. But Arnav had the intelligence and resources to pull off an elaborate plan just because it was difficult to do so. His constant need for upping others would very well put him on the spot theoretically but the victimology didn't add up.

Maybe this would also help her to deal with her sister's sudden death.

It was finally time to grieve.

Up to chapter 16, in my mind all these characters had seemed super human. The past updates make these people seem oddly human. It seems so sudden that Shyam channelized his anger to Khushi, Tara and Lavanya. Is this a sign that he has done away with the hallucinations?